Surgical protective guard or shield



E. G. BURNS SURGICAL PROTECTIVE GUARD OR SHIELD June 1926.

Filed August 6, 1925 Patented June 22, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,590,077 PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST G. BURNS, 0F ATLANTA, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SAMUEL J.SINKOE, 01E.ATLANTA- GEORGIA.

SURGICAL PROTECTIVE GUARD OR SHIELD.

gonorrheal conjunctivitis by so constructing the shield and applying thesame to .a syringe tube and nozzle, as to prevent not only theirrigating fluid but also the urethral pu's from entering .theeyes ofthe operator during the process of urethral irrigation. It often happensthat, with the type of shield generally used, the end of the nozzlebecomes impinged upon the urethral membrane, with the result that theface and eyes are not protested and the irrigating fluid carrying thepoisonous matter strikes or is thrown into the .face and eyes of theoperator. By using the present improved protective shield, which hastransparent means constituting the main covering body or extensionthereof through which the operator may view the application of thesyringe nozzle to the affected part, the danger just specified .isentirely eliminated. Since gonorrhea oi the eyes is a condition withabadiprognosis, the affection of eye or eyes generally terminates indestruction and loss of sight, so that the advantage of the presentimproved guard .or shield is obvious. Moreover, the improved guard .orshield prevents the clothes of the patient and physician from becomingsoiled or contaminated.

The improved guard or shield can be used in the treatment of anycondition of the genito-urinar-y tract where it is necessary togiveirrigations, for instance, in acute catarrhal urethritis, chroniccatarrhal urethritis, bladder .irrigations, and in other similartreatments, and furthermore, the improved guard or shield may bepractically used in administering vaginal .irriga'tions for otherphysical aliections that require irrigating treatments. I I In theaccompanying drawing a preferred form of the improved guard or shield isshown. and is subject to modifications in the details of construction,proportionsand gen- Application filed August- 6, 1925. Serial No.48,572.

eral dimensions within the scope of the invention.

. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved guard or shield, showing theirrigating tube broken away in part. 7

Fig. 2 is a detail elevation of the upper portion of the. improved guardor shield shown in a plane at right angles to that illustrated in Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on an enlarged scale on the line .3-.3,1, showing the irrigating tube fully open.

Fig. i is a view similar to .Fig. 3,, showing the irrigating tube closedor shut off by clamping means engaging the same.

Fig. 5 is a detail elevation of apart of the tubular stem and irrigatingtube controlling means, showing the closing meansl for thetube incompressed condition."

F 6 is'a top plan view of the improved guard or shield.

The improved device comprises essentially a guard or shield generallydesignated by the numeral 5, a tubular stem 6, preterably of metal, ayieldable or collapsible tube 7 interposed in said stem, a compressionbulb .8 attached to the end of the tube '7, oppositely disposed springclamps .or

valve members 9, and a nozzle .10 mounted and held in the central.portion of the guard or shield member :5 and connected to the yieldableor collapsible tube 7. The guard or shield member 0 comprises abase'bowl or body 11, preferably of the form shown,

and having a collar 12, the nozzle 10 extending through the center ofthis base bowl and secured at one end to the one end of the tube .7 asshown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

celluloid or any other suitable material, the

said covering having its-side edges removably t tted in inner] grooves18, formed in the terminating bars 115, asiclearly "shown by Fig. 6, theouter edge of the covering 17 having substantially the same contour asthe rim 16. When the covering '17 is applied to the extension 13 ofwhich it forms a part, the outer and inner extremities of the said coverclosely lit respectively against the inner side of the rim 16 and thebase of the said extension in a suitable groove or seat therefor, asindicated in dotted lines at 19, Fig. 1, and in full lines in Fig. 2.The covering 17 has suchclose engagement with the parts of'the extension13, as above explained, as to prevent all possibility of leakage of theirrigating fluid which the improved device as a whole is adapted toapply to an affected physical part. The extension 18 extends outwardlybeyond the reduced injecting terminal 20 of the nozzle 10, and thisnozzle may be of any preferred shape or general dimensions and materialadapted for the purpose. By leaving the guard or shield member 5 open,it is obvious that it can be applied to the patient with convenience,and in the application thereof the extension is disposed between thepart under treatment and the operator, to thereby shield the face andeyes as well as the body of the operator from a splash or out-throw ofthe irrigating fluid during the treatment.

The tubular stem 6 is also made of noncorrodible material, either metalor a composition of materials, and is secured at its outer end to thecollar 12, the yieldable or collapsible tube 7 extending through thesaid stem. Adjacent to the collar 12 the stem 6 at diametricallyopposite points is formed with openings 21, which have curved walls 22to expose sufficient opposite portions of the tube 7 to permitengagement therewith of the clamping or valve means 9. The clamping orvalve means 9 are preferably formed from the material of the stem 6 andcomprise normally outwardly bowed shanks 23, which at their outerterminals are diverged and provided with angular inwardly projectinggripping heads 24 with inner blunt edges 25 to engage diametricallyopposite portions of the tube 7 .The clamping and release operations ofthe members 9 are controlled by a tubular slide 26 mounted on the stem 6and having a gripping flange 27 surrounding the same, whereby the saidslide may be easily manipulated or pushed in one direction to force thestems 23 and clamping heads 24L of the members 9 inwardly against thetube 7, or be pushed in the opposite direction to release the heads 24-from compressing engagement with the tube 7. The stem 6 also has afinger ring 28 secured thereto for convenience in positively holding theimproved device in its applied position and prevent any tendency of theguard or shield member 5, including the bowl 11 and extension 13, to

5 Fig. 4.

be displaced. The tubular stem 6 also permits the operator to "firmlygrasp the same without in the lease afi'ecting the tube 7, and thefinger ring 8 further functions in permitting the stem to be positivelyheld while moving or shifting the slide 26 with its flange 27. The tube7 may be as long as desired and the free end thereof beyond the bulb 8may be connected to or associated. with a source of supply of irrigatingfluid.

The operation of the improved device is very simple. Assuming that thefree end of the tube 7 beyond thebulb 8 has been properly associatedwith the source of supply of the irrigating fi'uid desired to beinjected into thepatient, the physician or operator then applies theshield member with its extension over the affected part with theextension 13 between the part under treatment and himself and the'nozzle20 is more or less inserted in the organ to be guard or shield alsoprotectsithe body as well as the clothing of the patient treated. Theflow of the irrigating fluid through the tube 7 may be quickly shut oifby compressing the clamping or valve members 9 through the actuation ofthe slide 2%, the heads 24 of the said clamping or valve members 9 thenassuming the position shown by Subsequently the said clamp or valvemembers 9 may be released to permit the irrigating operation orfull Howof the fluid through the tube, or permit the tube to assume its normaldistended position as shown by Fig. It will be seen that the openings 21are large enough to permit unimpeded or free operation of the heads 24L1n eifectmg 'a complete construction of the portion of the tube exposedby said .openings.

The improved surgical guard or shield,

in addition to possessing the advantages heretofore specified, may alsobe easily cleanedand asepticized, and as .hereinbefore 1nd1cated,.theeyes and other portions of the body of a physician or operatorarefullyprotected against infections germs,

particularly while treating cases of gonorrhea and thelike withirrigating fluid. The extension 13 serves as a hood under which the workis accomplished, and the bowl or cup-like base l1 adds materially to theefliciency of the improved device.

The use of the bulb 8 is not essential in the operatiouof the improvedprt-teetive guard or shield, since it is obvious that any holding meanshaving a gravitatingaction may be used for producing the requisite flowor supply of the fluid medicament. Furthermore, such materials may beused in the formation of the tube 7 as to render the latternon-corrodible and not affected by the various chemicals carried in thefluid that may pass therethrough. In other words, it is proposed to useany suitable means for supplying the medicated fluid to the guard orshield.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a surgical guard or shield, a shield member comprising a bowl withan extension partially therearound comprising an open frame with atransparent covering, a tubular means attached to the bowl, a nozzleextending upwardly into the latter, and a tubular means connected to thenozzle for dispensation of irrigating fluids.

2. In a surgical guard or shield, a bowl having an open frameworkextension partially around the same, a transparent covering for theextension, a nozzle held in the center of the bowl and shielded by thesaid extension and covering, irrigating tubular means attached to thenozzle, and means for controlling thefiow of fluid through the saidtubular means.

8. A surgical guard or shield of the class specified, having a bowl withan open framework extension partially therearound, a transparentcovering for the said extension, a nozzle held by the bowl and shieldedby the said extension and covering, flexible tubular irrigating meansattached to the nozzle, and means for engaging opposite portions of theflexible tubular means for controlling the flow of irrigating fluidsthrough the latter.

4. A surgical guard or shield of the class specified comprising atubular stein, a flexible tubular means extending through the stem andhaving one end adapted for connection to a pressure device, a bowlsecured on the end of the stem and havingan open framework extensionhaving a transparent covering, the extension and covering extendingpartially therearound, a nozzle held within the bowl and shielded by thesaid extension and to which the other end of said specified comprising atubular stem with opposed openings in a portion thereof and springvalves having heads disposed opposite said openings, a flexible tubeextending through the stem and having one end adapted for connection toa pressure means,

a slide device operable to compress and release the said spring valvesfor cutting off free flow of an irrigating fluid through the saidflexible tube, a bowl-like membersecured to the end of the stem andprovided with an open framework extension having a transparent covering,the extension and covering extending partially around the bowl, and anozzle secured to the bowl and the other end'of said flexible tube andshielded by the open'framework extension and transparent covering, thetransparent covering being detachable and replaceable by another similardevice, and means carried by the stem to assist in holding the latterduring application and operation thereof.

- 6; In a'device of the'class specified, a

bowl having an open framework extension partially therearound providedwith a transparent covering, a nozzle held within the center of [thebowl at a distance from the extension and shielded by the latter, andmeans connected to the nozzle for supply ing the same with an irrigatingfluid.

7. In a device of the class specified,a bowl having an open frameworkextension partially therearound provided with a transparent covering, anozzle held within the center of the bowl at a distance from theextension and shielded by the latter, and means connected to the nozzlefor supplying the same with an irrigating fluid, the transparentcovering being removable and adapted to have a similar devicesubstituted therefor in the event of fracture.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ERNEST G. BURNS.

